The term Various Artists is used in the record industry when numerous singers and musicians collaborate on a song or collection of songs. Most often on Last.fm, compilation album tracks appear under the name of Various Artists erroneously because the individual artist is not listed in the album's ID3 information.
Compilation albums, for example.
Sometimes, single releases may be credited to Various Artists when their profits are going to charity and, usually in high-profile cases, are sometimes known by a group name. Examples include Band Aid with their releases of Do They Know It's Christmas? and USA for Africa with We Are The World.
Various Artists is also an actual performance name for Torsten Pröfrock, who runs the German DIN label. Torsten performs also as Dynamo, Erosion, Resilent, Traktor besides some others. He's a good friend of Robert Henke and since the Fall of 2004, he is a member of Monolake.
Various Artists was also a short-lived Bristol punk band formed by brothers Jonjo and Robin Key (originally from Birmingham). Other members were also simultaneously in Art Objects who went on to become The Blue Aeroplanes, the latter the Key brothers also co-wrote some songs and were involved in. When Various Artists imploded, the Key brothers went on to form Either / Or.
Various Artists also appear on tracks from musical theater soundtracks, due to the nature of having many cast members on one song, as well as an ensemble in some cases.
Superstar
Various Artists Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why you let the things you did get so out of hand
You'd have managed better if you'd had it planned
Why'd you choose such a backward time in such a strange land?
If you'd come today you could have reached a whole nation
Israel in 4 BC had no mass communication
Don't you get me wrong
I only want to know
Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ
Who are you? What have you sacrificed?
Jesus Christ Superstar
Do you think you're what they say you are?
Tell me what you think about your friends at the top
Who'd you think besides yourself's the pick of the crop?
Buddha, was he where it's at? Is he where you are?
Could Mohammed move a mountain, or was that just PR?
Did you mean to die like that? Was that a mistake, or
Did you know your messy death would be a record breaker?
Don't you get me wrong
I only want to know
Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ
Who are you? What have you sacrificed?
Jesus Christ Superstar
Do you think you're what they say you are?
Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ
Who are you? What have you sacrificed?
Jesus Christ Superstar
Do you think you're what they say you are?
Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ
Who are you? What have you sacrificed?
Jesus Christ Superstar
Do you think you're what they say you are?
If we take a closer look at the lyrics of this song, we can see that it's questioning the very identity of Jesus Christ. The song starts off by pointing out the fact that Jesus Christ's actions and choices, especially during his crucifixion, were incomprehensible. The song wonders why he chose a backward time in a strange land, hinting at the strange circumstances of his birth in Bethlehem. The line "If you'd come today you could have reached a whole nation. Israel in 4 BC had no mass communication" seems to suggest that if Jesus had lived in modern times, his message could have been spread much more easily.
The song then goes on to compare Jesus Christ with other religious figures like Buddha and Mohammed, wondering if his status as a religious icon was justified. The line "Did you mean to die like that? Was that a mistake, or did you know your messy death would be a record breaker?" is particularly striking, as it questions whether or not Jesus knew the impact his death would have on the world.
Overall, this song is a powerful critique of Christianity, and a call to question the very foundation of this religion.
Line by Line Meaning
Every time I look at you I don't understand
The artist doesn't understand why Jesus made the choices he did.
Why you let the things you did get so out of hand
The artist questions why Jesus couldn't control the events that led to his death.
You'd have managed better if you'd had it planned
The artist believes that Jesus could have avoided his death if he had planned things better.
Why'd you choose such a backward time in such a strange land?
The artist wonders why Jesus didn't choose a different time and place to be born, where he could have spread his message more easily.
If you'd come today you could have reached a whole nation
The artist believes that Jesus could have had a bigger impact if he had been born in modern times, where he could have reached more people more easily.
Israel in 4 BC had no mass communication
The artist points out that Jesus faced challenges in getting his message out due to the lack of mass communication in his time.
Don't you get me wrong
The artist doesn't want to offend anyone or be misunderstood.
I only want to know
The artist is genuinely curious and seeks deeper understanding.
Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ
The artist addresses Jesus directly and by name.
Who are you? What have you sacrificed?
The artist is questioning Jesus' identity and what he gave up for his cause.
Jesus Christ Superstar
The artist alludes to the title of the song and the idea of Jesus as a superstar figure.
Do you think you're what they say you are?
The artist wonders if Jesus believes he lives up to the lofty expectations people have of him.
Tell me what you think about your friends at the top
The artist asks Jesus about his opinions on the people with the most power and influence.
Who'd you think besides yourself's the pick of the crop?
The artist wants to know who, in Jesus' opinion, is the best among those in positions of power.
Buddha, was he where it's at? Is he where you are?
The artist questions whether Buddha was also a significant figure that could rival Jesus, and wonders if they share any similarities.
Could Mohammed move a mountain, or was that just PR?
The artist references a well-known story of Jesus moving a mountain, and questions whether Mohammed was also capable of such miraculous feats or if it was just for show.
Did you mean to die like that? Was that a mistake, or
The artist wonders if Jesus knew that he would die in such a way, and if it was part of a bigger plan or simply a mistake.
Did you know your messy death would be a record breaker?
The artist suggests that Jesus' death became famous and highly publicised after it occurred, asking if he knew this would happen.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tim Rice
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@zayaintfamous
Y’all can talk bout his hair but he got mad potential and his music is fire and real. You can relate to him in many ways
@Konaftw
built in pillow
@alii.2034
real
@mbfromsouth2143
There’s nothing wrong with his hair it just because he had waves on top that’s all
@blueballs9803
he just look like every australian, nun wrong with that 😂
@basketballcinemas
Goofiest cut of all time
@Mosthighshad
This dude got potential I just hope he don’t kill nobody anytime soon. Especially a barber.
@Nightman12
😂
@carbondated21
Damnn homie 😂😂😂
@user-vc5gi4lz4c
He did catch a body…..Look him up… it’s a video of him doin it